Ripple Effects..

The nonsense about BridgeGate is really about ripple effects. When people behave this arrogantly, lives are affected. I’ve never been to New York or New Jersey, but it seems the bridge in question is a busy place. Bridges between states typically are. The George Washington Bridge is reportedly the most heavily traveled bridge in the world. Someone in the governor’s office decides to punish the Mayor of Fort Lee, a Democrat, for not endorsing Christie’s re-election by reducing available lanes of traffic to only one instead of three, and someone actually died in the process. I also read, among other things, that a child was missing, and kids going back to school were affected. I’m fairly certain that we can also agree that this created a National Security situation, particularly given that it happened around 9/11, specifically 9/9 through 9/13. All under the guise of a nonexistent “traffic study”. They really thought no one would check this out?

Ripple effects..people have been fired..and rightly so. But what if the investigations that will no doubt result find that the Governor was directly involved? Does he lose his job too?  What about the woman who died? What about her family? In the coming days, we may find out about additional tragedies. Clearly this won’t be over for a long time to come.

Pettiness serves no one, and this was petty. Neither does thuggery. Getting even is ridiculous. Democrats are typically not going to endorse Republicans. For anything. It’s not that it can’t happen, but it wasn’t going to happen in this case. Unfortunately, the governor made light of the situation when he said he was the guy rearranging the cones. All this time and he didn’t investigate this himself? Given his fondness for press coverage, and to prevent any suggestion of a conflict of interest, he could have also announced that he was requesting DOJ to investigate this travesty. If he’s not responsible for this debacle, he should have been the one to get out in front of it, not wait until now to fire people. The people of Fort Lee certainly would have appreciated something from him..instead of the nothing they received.

And now Christie’s buddy has asserted his Fifth Amendment privilege. Of course his attorney indicated that, after receiving immunity from everyone short of the Pope, his client might be interested in testifying, just not now. Great. And where’s Bridget? You know she’s sitting on all kinds of information…perhaps waiting on that immunity (or book) deal. We’ll find out eventually.

Honesty and integrity are at stake here. Politicians and/or their staff cannot manipulate the citizenry in an effort to exact revenge against a so-called political rival. For the love of God, grow up. The people of Fort Lee are not your puppets to do with as you please. The idiots involved here are an embarrassment and a disgrace. Losing their jobs should be the least of what happens to them. Prison would be better.

Ripple effects..the only way to control them is to not make them in the first place. But that takes a level of integrity and maturity, not to mention a moral compass missing in the people involved. Guess the presidency is out of the question now..maybe Governor Christie and Toronto’s Mayor Ford could develop a reality show around their antics..in case unemployment is in their future..